I need help?

It sounds like you may not have given him enough time to settle into his new home. If he came from a breeder at a show, chances are he is use to being in a dark and secure tub that is much smaller than what he is in now.

Give him time to settle in and get hungry. Dont handle him for a week and then offer him a small FT rat which you have warmed very very warm with a hair dryer or hold it in front if a hot light bulb for a few minutes. Wiggle it a little in front if him too but not too much.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by llovelace

sure, a pic is worth a 1000 words :)

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http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/m...2/P7270291.jpg

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/m...2/P7270290.jpg

that is my enclosure

Another thing, offer it when he's in his hide. He's more likely to strike it if it's head is wiggling at the entrance of his hide when he's in it at night.

I doubt tuna juice will ever entice a snake that eat rodents to eat. Ever. I've actually never heard if that one.
The main thing I'm hearing is you've had the snake a week. He's stressed from his new home and even trying to feed now is only making your situation worse. Coupling that with trying ft on a sole live feeder and you've got rejection written all over your situation.
1. Give him a week to even 2 weeks from this point no handling, no food offering, only bare maintenance.
2. When that time frame is up offer a small live rat weanling. Or whatever size prey fits your snake. But go with live 100%.
3. Only when he is eating steadily do you try to switch him. No need to dip, slit, or debrain, or anything like that. He's either going to eat it or not. Try and go with ft prey that is the same as the live prey.

The main thing is he needs his acclimation period. Give him as long as he needs. Offer 1x time if he doesn't eat take the prey out and do it again in a minimum of 1 week. He needs to be on a consistent schedule before it's even feasible to switch him to frozen.


Check out what's new on my website... www.Homegrownscales.com

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Homegrownscales

I doubt tuna juice will ever entice a snake that eat rodents to eat. Ever. I've actually never heard if that one.
The main thing I'm hearing is you've had the snake a week. He's stressed from his new home and even trying to feed now is only making your situation worse. Coupling that with trying ft on a sole live feeder and you've got rejection written all over your situation.
1. Give him a week to even 2 weeks from this point no handling, no food offering, only bare maintenance.
2. When that time frame is up offer a small live rat weanling. Or whatever size prey fits your snake. But go with live 100%.
3. Only when he is eating steadily do you try to switch him. No need to dip, slit, or debrain, or anything like that. He's either going to eat it or not. Try and go with ft prey that is the same as the live prey.

The main thing is he needs his acclimation period. Give him as long as he needs. Offer 1x time if he doesn't eat take the prey out and do it again in a minimum of 1 week. He needs to be on a consistent schedule before it's even feasible to switch him to frozen.


Check out what's new on my website... www.Homegrownscales.com

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I would feed it live, but the fear I have with live feeding is that the rats have parasites and they can bite my snake.

Not if you supervise. Besides, up until a couple years ago, everyone fed live exclusively. Most breeders still do. It's so difficult to get hatchlings on FT that most breeders start babies on live. Very few people ever have a problem with bites unless you leave the rat unattended and the snake does not eat right away or the rat is too big. A small rat is generally not going to be aggressive like a large rat will.

I feed most of mine prekilled. Solves the problem of not wanting FT and being worried about walking away from the tub with a live rat in there.

when feeding in a different tub, how do you move it back into its enclosure?

I've been trying to get my normal switched over since early May.
Things I've tried and had recommend.

-Thaw then heat to 100f in a temp gun.
Don't use enough heat as to cook it.
Dry = thaw at room temp then heat with a hair dryer or lamp
Wet = thaw and reheat in a ziplock bag in warm water.
- Zombie dance, with feeding forcepts make it move similar to a live one.
- leave it overnight in its enclosure
- put it in a snake bag with your bp overnight in the enclosure.
(I did't like this, she couldn't drink or thermoregulate, I ended this attempt after 3 hrs)
- rodent potpourri
A cloth bag full of dirty rodent litter set on top of their tank the morning before the attempt to get the smell in the air.
- gradual transition
Live, prekilled kicking, prekilled still, frozen overnight, then normal f/t
(mine stopped at prekilled kicking)
- assisted feeding
I can't explain how to do this safely, I had a breeder friend show me this today and it worked, after 3 months of trying she ate her first f/t today.
( my last straw before giving up and staying with pk)

*** do not starve your bp while making the transition***
My advise, and what I did is to try f/t if it didn't work (never did), wait 3 days and give what ever he will take.

are live more expensive or frozen?